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Home is the Journey: Tales from Portugal's Diasporas
Carnation Revolution's "Capitão de Abril" Col. José Santos Coelho
HITJ journeys to Portugal's Carnation Revolution of April 25th, 1974, in conversation with the "Captain of April" Col. José Fernando Santos Coelho. One of the leaders of the revolution, Col. Coelho played a major role in planning and executing the occupation and command of the radio stations from which the revolutionaries communicated the operationalization of the military coup to overthrow the Estado Novo fascist dictatorship. Historian Annarita Gori joins Gilberto and Miguel for the opening segment.
Col. Santos Coelho developed the plan to broadcast songs whose verses were choreographed to signal troop operations across the country and initiate the revolution. The Colonel talks about how he became politically radicalized, the early stages of planning for the revolution, and his role taking over the radio stations. He also reveals that José "Zeca " Afonso's "Grândola Vila Morena," the song that became synonymous with the Carnation Revolution and remains the central protest song in Portugal, was not the initial choice but rather another Afonso song that had to be changed at the last minute for reasons explained in the interview.
The conversations ends with the April Captain's reflection on the meaning of liberty and his continued vigilance against current-day illiberal regimes and political leaders.
This episode was supported by the Portuguese National Science Foundation project ExPORT “Export Portugal. Cultural Diplomacy and the Rebranding Strategies of the Estado Novo in the United States (1933-1974)” (Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia-2022.08653.PTDC, Annarita Gori, PI), ICS, Universidade de Lisboa. https://export.ics.ulisboa.pt/index.php/en/home-en/
The English dub of Colonel Santos Coelho's interview was done by Jorge Anacleto. As mentioned in the episode, Anacleto recorded an album of original songs inspired by Fausto Bordalo Dias with the band Boemia (Géneses, 2023) and recorded in studio arrangements with the great singer songwriter José Mario Branco, one of the leaders of the Portuguese music protest movement (Musica de Intervenção) that challenged the dictatorship in the 1960s and 1970s.
See Anacleto's recording with José Mario Branco at: https://youtu.be/VYiz2x79UQ4
Home is the Journey: Tales from Portugal's Diasporaswith Gilberto Fernandes and Miguel Moniz
Conversations about communities around the world shaped by mobilities from Portugal, to Portugal, and beyond Portugal. Anthropologist Miguel Moniz (ICS, Universidade de Lisboa) and historian Gil Fernandes (York University) are public scholars with expertise in the contemporary issues and history of Portugal and Portuguese immigration in North America.
Websites: miguelmoniz.com | gilbertofernandes.ca
Instagram: @home_is_the_journey | @miguelmonizlisboa | @rapaz.gil
For inquiries, email us at: homeisthejourney@gmail.com
Music by Farra Fanfarra: farrafanfarra.bandcamp.com
All rights reserved © Miguel Moniz & Gilberto Fernandes
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